Method of producing dustless starch.



A. w.. H. LENDERS. METHOD OF PRODUCING DUSTLESS STARCH. APPLICATION FILED MAIL-30 I914.

1 ,27 9,682. Patented J My 16, 1918.

(glnhnfam m: uunms PEYERS cow, Pncmunw WASHINGTON. u. z,

A. W. H. LENDERS.

METHOD OFPRODUCING DUSTLESS STARCH.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 30| l9l4. v

Patented July 16, 1918.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2 wilm aam I be apparent to anyone UNITED s'rA'rns PA ADOLPH W. H. LENDERS, OF CEDAR: RAPIDS, IOWA.

METHOD OF PRODUCING DUS'ILESS STARCH.

My invention has for its object to provide a process which when followed will free the lumps of starch from this adhering dust, and I here desire to state that the word as used by me throughout this specification and the appended claim is intended to cover the various kinds of starch, whether known to'the trade as lump,'crystal, granulated, pearl or fine lump, and when the term is so used, shall be deemed to. apply to any or all kinds and sizes of starch.

When I refer to dust, I desire to be understood as using the term to define; or describe the almost impalpable particles of of starch called variously starch dust or powder. I

In the drawings which are hereunto annexed and are a part of this specification, I have illustrated an apparatus which can be employed to carry out my newly discovered process, but these drawings are furnished solely for illustrative purposes, and are only intended to enable persons skilled in the art to construct apparatus which will present a concrete embodiment of my process, and I am to be understood as not inany manner or form-limiting myself to the construction or details as shown and described, as it will who is familiar with the art that innumerable changes maybe I made in the mechanical construction, and I intend to be limited in fact only by the hereinafter contained claim, :in which:

Figure 1, is a fragmentary detail view partly in section and partly in elevation, of a part of a starch filling and, weighing machine, which'is equipped with apparatus for carrying out my newly discovered process. Fig. 2, is a view partly in section and partly in elevation of a suitable form of apiparatus where the smaller lumps are being lled. a

Specification of Letters Patent.-

Figs. 3, 4, and 5, are enlarged detail views of part of the apparatus. I

Similar reference numerals refer to similar parts throughout the entire description.

In filling and weighing machines for filling the carton with starch such as are now on the market, it is customary to have two discharge hoppers, one for the larger or starch is traveling through a plurality of' feeding devices, and in fact, it does not matmay be when it ap, after ter how clean the starch proaches this device, when examined its discharge from the hopper orifice, it will be found to contain a considerable percentage of dust, and the surfaces of the lumps adhering starch dust. 1

Now it is well known to persons skilled in the art that starch in the process of curing forms crystals, and when broken up assumes various crystalline shapes, but when these crystals are all coated with dust, they lose the appearance which is so desirable.

I have discovered'that if the lumps in their travel from the discharge orifice of the hopper to the carton are subjected to a blast or spray of compressed air that the adhering powder can be blown fromthe sur' faces of the lumps, and if a suctionis'pro vided, the dust laden air can be drawn off to a separating chamber and the surface of the,

andwhere the surface of the lumps are covered with the adhering dust;

- As shownin the drawings, 1 indicates the hopper, having a cylinder 2, in whichthe blades or knives are maintained. The discharge orifice 3, is located above thecarton Patented July 16, 1918.

Application filed March 30, 1914. Serial No. 828,414.

will be found to be thickly covered with an 4-. Intermediate the dischargeorifice 3, and k the carton 4', is located my improvedapparatus for getting rid'of'the dust: "Asshewn' in the drawings, it consists of a rectangular structure, the walls 5, of which are formed ofscreen or foraminated materialyin the corners" of the are located" pipes 6.

These pipes extend to point adjacent the.- top of the screen 5, and are in commumcation with tubular member 7 which encircles the screen 5, adjacent the bottom thereof;

Below the tubular member 7,. the" walls vai-"e holl'imr formingxa jacket 8,. which tapers inwardly to delivery spout 9', which isof the size suitable: for the carton which is to lie-filled.- Theinner wall .of-the racket-.8,

' is providedwith plurality of perforations whicli direet the ati'rupwardly. This jacket is suitablyconnected to a pipejll, leading to-a-sour'ceot compressed aiiz- A pipe 10; is shown locatedin the center of the chamber formed by the screen'walls 5,- .and' con nected to the tubular mcmber 7, which is connected to:a pipe 12, which is also cona le source of compressed an" nectedto a suit supply. A- c'on'oidal structure 135, depends downwardly from the discharge hopper 3, its upper end"v being secured adjacent the cylinder 2. The walls of tl-i-is structureiiare downwardly and mltwardly and terminate in plane adjacent the tubular "structure 7 .IA11,O19.6I ilng is provided inthe said conoidal structure 13 near its j upper end and a'pipe' 14; is connected thereto which leads to an exhaust fan (not shown) Which is d esigned to produce a suction for drawing the dust laden air from the interior of the cone 13. 1 v

The operationot theprocess is as follows: The valves- 15, in the pipes 11 and 12',,are

opened ;-the ai rpassing. up through thepipes I 6, and-10, is discharged therefrom through for aluinpof starch to be deliveredto a separating chamberof the usual"c nstructionfor this purpose. The result of this operationis that the l 'i'n'n'pswhen delivered to the carton are entirely free from the adhering starch dust as there is a zone adjacent the lower part of the-cha1nber' through which the starch passes, which is V entirely free from starch dust or flour, Fig.

2, showsa referred fem for-handling the nner lumps in wh ch, as shown, this consists of a cylinder 19 the wall of which is formed ofscreen orother suitable toraminated sheet of metal which has mounted inits'"'c'enter a able source of compressed air. supply. enters the conoida l structure :20, at-the top,- and is adapted to di's'chargethe air in the interior of the said structure. The air issuing from the pipe,- strikes the bottom 24 of the conoi'dal structure 20.; This bottomis made solid; and diverts the direction of the air current so that it; passesout radially through the foraminati ons in the walls 21'. The downwardly moving starc'h passes through the annular space surrounding the conoidal; structure. 20,- its course of travel being directed by means of theshape 0tthe said structure and itnecessarily passes through the current of airv which is passing radially from the cylindrical,wallsQl; The

foraminationsin the walls of the outer'icyl iuder are of such sizeas to permitthe escape.

of the dust, but aresmall enough to prevent the discharge of the fine lump or pearl. I strueturesmnlar to the conegused in the first" filling hopper is placed about thefouter cylinrlrical us-ma is provided with a pipe 25, which is connected by a pipe. to the pipe 1%, leading to the exhaust fan. g

Although I have described my newly 'discovered process as being used in connection with packing lum starch, it will be apparent from the foregoin 'descripuon that the process canv be employed inthe packing'f of any granular substance which it is desned' to have freed from dust when received in" the cartoll, v r

. Having described my invention what I regardasn'e'w' and'desire to obta'i'i'i by Let'- tersPatent is: p i Y 1 p The process of cleaning a productjof very friable material whichiconsi'sts' of conduct ing saidvery; friablem'aterial tlfrouglirelatively short unobstructedchamber, sub

jeeting the; materialfin its verticalfpassage to a series 'otj'ets of air atvariousangles, and-maintaining a cur'r'ent of air away from the field of said j ets' and away from. the region of delivery to a receptacle:

In testimony whereof, I

have signed *the i'ore'going s'pecifica'tlon. w

Witnessesi 1 AQM; DOUGLAS, Ri'W. B LAGK g DotPn W. LENDERsI 3 five=eents each, by addressing the Commissioner .0! intents; '7 Washington, D. 0. 

